Handle for luggage



Nov. 16, 1954 A. ROMOLT HANDLE FOR LUGGAGE Filed April 6. 1954 INVENTOR. X65 ea/1404 7- aww diPk. .FH 15 United States Patent HANDLE FOR LUGGAGE Abe Romolt, Chicago, 11]., assignor to National Leather Handle Company, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application April 6, 1954, Serial No. 421,360

1 Claim. (Cl. 190-57) This invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in handles for luggage such as traveling bags, suitcases, briefcases, and the like.

Among the several objects of this invention is to provide a handle for the purposes hereinafter described which may be manufactured at an economical cost and which will be highly efiicient in use, capable of with standing wear to which such handles are usually sub- 'ected. 1 An important object of this invention is to provide on a luggage handle over abutting edges of the handle section, a stiffening strip to conceal the line of abutment of such handle sections and to protect the flexible cover of the handle along said abutting edges from wear and tear.

Another and equally important object of the invention is the novel means for attaching the strip to the luggage handle.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a blank having a flexible covering from which my improved luggage handle is formed;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the stiffening strip embodied in the invention;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the completed luggage handle;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the same;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

The several objects of my invention are accomplished by the preferred form of construction now to be described, reference in this connection being had to the accompanying drawings.

My improved luggage handle is formed from a single blank of material. This blank comprises web portions integrally connecting together the end portions 11 of handle sections 12. Each handle section is substantially U-shaped in plan view as viewed in Fig. 1 and is sugstantially concave in cross section as shown in Fig.

The web portions 11 are adapted to be folded upon a central transverse line to dispose the handle sections 12 with their edge portions 13 in abutting relation with respect to each other. Prior to this folding of the blank, the outer surface of the handle sections is covered by a flexible covering 14, which may be leather, plastic or other suitable material. The edge portions 15 of such covering are turned into the handle sections and the entire cover including the inturned portions is adhesively secured to the handle sections, which sections may be formed of metal or other suitable material.

Extending longitudinally of the handle sections when the latter are disposed with their edges in abutting relationship, is a stiffening strip 16 preferably formed of metal. This strip covers that portion of the leather which extends along the abutting edges of the handle sections, and the width of the strip is suflicient to conceal from view the top abutting edges of the handle sections. The strip 16 is attached to the handle sections by means of hook-shaped elements 17 which are hooked to the end portions of the handle sections. To prevent lateral displacement of the stiffening strip 16, the same provides on opposite longitudinal edges prongs 18 which project through slits 19 formed in the handle sections 12. By the use of this strip, the line of junction between the top abutting edges of the handle sections is concealed from view and the strip guards the cover section immediately adjacent this line of junction from wear and tear to which it is usually subjected. In addition, the strip provides an ornamentation greatly increasing the aesthetic appeal of the handle.

The web portions 10 provide bearings for the luggage rings 20, by means of which the handle is connected to the luggage.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that my invention comprises relatively few parts, thereby permitting the same to be expeditiously assembled and consequently manufactured at an economical cost.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A luggage handle comprising confronting handle sections each of substantially U-shaped form and substantially concave in cross section and arranged with their edges in abutting relation, web portions integral with said sections for connecting the end portions of said sections together and providing bearing sleeves, a flexible cover adhesively secured to the outer surfaces of said sections and having edge portions folded over the edges of said sections and adhesively secured to the inner surfaces of said sections, and an elongated stiffening strip extending longitudinally of said sections on the top edge thereof over the portion of said cover adjacent said abutting edges and having hook-shaped ends providing connection between the ends of said strip and the opposite ends of said handle sections, said strip intermediate its end portions having on its opposite longitudinal edges depending prongs, and slits formed in said handle sections into which said prongs project.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 457,112 Eisenman et al. Aug. 4, 1891 1,977,674 Finkelstein Oct. 23, 1934 2,519,604 Romolt Aug. 22, 1950 2,595,724 Stein May 6, 1952 

